Real Madrid: Odegaard Linked With Ajax Loan

Teenager Spending His Third Season In The Netherlands

Real Madrid youngster Martin Odegaard is being linked with a loan move to Ajax next season.

The 20-year-old Norwegian is currently in his third season in the Netherlands. He spent two years at Heerenveen and has followed that up with an impressive season with Vitesse Arnhem. He has scored seven goals in 25 Eredivisie and Dutch Cup games and reports in Holland are linking him with a move further up the league table with Ajax.

“In the summer I’ll go back to Real Madrid and we’ll see what they want.”

Odegaard joined Real in January 2015 from Norwegian side Stromsgodset for whom he made his debut when he was just 15 years old. He made his international debut for Norway that same season.

The move came after a sort of beauty contest where he toured Europe’s top clubs. Ironically, Ajax were one of the clubs he visited. The Dutch side have a reputation for nurturing young talent. But once the likes of Real and Bayern Munich took an interest it became clear he was going to join a club with a much greater profile.

Odegaard spent his first season at Real playing for the club’s reserve team in the third tier of Spanish football. But that was held to be a move that was limiting his development. He was sent to the Netherlands where he has made a total of 68 first-team appearances for Heerenveen and Vitesse.